Williams-sonoma School Night: Dinner Solutions for Every Day of the Week

Every parent knows that school nights can be hectic and challenging. Between sports practices, piano lessons, and homework, it's easy for dinner to become an afterthought. School Night is the solution for inspiration and expert advice, with more than 50 recipes for delicious, nourishing, quick, and easy dinners for your family any night of the week.

Kate McMillan, caterer, chef, and mother of three, knows firsthand how chaotic school nights can be--which is why she's created this foolproof guide for weeknight cooking. In these pages, you'll learn tips and tricks to serve simple and healthy dinners to keep your family well nourished on busy nights. From meatless Monday to quick and easy desserts, there's something for everyone in School Night.

Meatless Monday Strict vegetarians and cheeseburger-lovers alike will these fantastic meatless recipes like bruschetta with herbed goat cheese and grilled vegetables and cheesy polenta with roasted butternut squash and brussels sprouts.
Sheet Tray Dinners These one-sheet wonders like a lemony roasted shrimp with broccoli rabe, a classic meatloaf with rosemary roasted carrots and parsnips or fish puttanesca en papillote with zucchini, will have everyone at the table asking for seconds.
Make Ahead Prepare these delicious recipes when you have a free second and serve up anytime. Dishes like chicken, Gruyere and spinach turnovers and Moroccan lamb meatballs with spiced tomato sauce have never tasted so good.
Breakfast for Dinner Gone are the days of cold cereal and from-the-box pancake mix Try your hand at everything from a Croque Madame to a vegetable-thyme hash with fried egg.
6 Ingredients and Under Flavorful meals made easy. A skirt steak with avocado and tomato, mussels marinara and more - each requiring six ingredients (or less) that you're likely to have in your pantry.
Hearty Salads Trying to get your kids to eat more greens while avoiding a bland dish? Inventive and flavorful salads like poached salmon Nicoise and Vietnamese slaw with lemongrass shrimp and crushed peanuts will surely do the trick
Speedy Desserts Often times, getting dinner on the table is too big of an effort to even think about dessert. A speedy route to dessert bliss runs through recipes like nutella & mini marshmallow panini and chocolate pudding with strawberry dippers.

These family-friendly recipes emphasize fresh ingredients, great flavors, and nutritious meals that are achievable on even the busiest of nights.

Kate McMillan is chef and owner of an eponymous catering company and is an instructor at Tante Marie’s Cooking School in San Francisco. Kate has worked as an event planner for Vogue and Glamour magazines. She lives in the San Francisco Bay Area with her husband and three young daughters.